Tips & Tricks: Namibia Self-Drive

This article will give you all of the tips & tricks that you need to face the Namibia roads in a self-drive. Namibia is a country you can totally drive yourself, but need to be prepared for a few situations.

Disclosure: I don’t recommend products that I have not, or would not, use myself. With that said, you may find affiliate links to products in posts. Clicking these links just helps support my blog, but it is at no additional cost to you.

Must Have

A Plan – Failure to plan, is a plan to fail. Talk about what you will do if you get a flat, encounter an elephant on the road, etc. Do you know how to change a tire? What if animals are around? What if it is dark?

Spare Tire(s) – Ideally 2 spares, but we only had one and didn’t get a flat. However, several other self-drivers got a flat then had to get another spare for the remainder of the trip. They say they spent a half-day negotiating with the rental company on who is to pay.

Map – You’ll want to have a paper map as GPS can be spotty. We purchased the latest National Geographic Namibia Map off of Amazon.

Directions – Print directions before you leave for the same reason as having a paper map.

Water – It can be hours before you find a petrol station or any place to get water.

Cash – Petrol stations often don’t take credit card, so cash is critical in this situation.

Tip: All petrol/gas stations are full service. You will just pull up and let them do the work, but be sure to tell them what type of gas you need.

Should Have

Snacks – Especially, if you have long drives and are following my 10 Day Namibian Road Trip itinerary. There may not be any places to eat along the way.

Tip: Go to the grocery stores in the large cities and stock up on food for a few days. Windhoek and Swakopmund is where we stopped to get food and water.

Downloaded Google Maps – This will allow you to have GPS, audible directions when you don’t have service. Download them before you depart home.

Tip: Some lodges in remote areas limit Wi-Fi due to bandwidth costs. Therefore, you don’t want to be in a situation where you need to download or upload something.

Nice to Have

Car with USB – We rented a Toyota Hillux (similar to Toyota Tacoma) through Avis and it came with a USB port. This will allow you to keep your phone charged while using it.

Entertainment – Whether it be music or books, you’ll want to download it in advance before you leave.

Battery Pack – If you don’t have a USB port in the car, and plan on using the phone during your drives, you may want a battery pack. There are several on Amazon, but I like the Solar Power Bank.